This short story follows the recovery of two alcoholics, the unnamed narrator and a man named J.P. Via the narrator, the reader is able to learn why the two men are there and, again, their relationships with the woman in their life. Saying this, the first thing that I noticed was the narrator’s telling of J.P.’s story. He asks for it in real time, why he is at Frank Martin’s, and relays the message to use for him. We don’t get to talk with J.P. directly. It is only through the narrator that we get to see J.P. I may be biased, but I have personally seen alcohol withdrawal and know that one of the symptoms is hallucinations. I am not denying that J.P. exists, but suggesting that, again, we are getting an unreliable narrator.

Another thing that stuck out to me was the amount of information that Carver withheld. I still had many questions at the end of the story, but in my second reading, I paid more attention to what he was sharing and why. It gave scenes like those with the well and the chimney sweep more meaning. It also made the story more intense, and made me want to keep reading. However, the amount I was given did not feel satisfactory. However, because this is part of a collection, most likely, if I were to read the other stories, I would learn more about the narrator, perhaps even his name, and the relationship he has with his wife and his lover.